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Justice News

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney’s Office

Eastern District of Wisconsin

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Marinette Woman Sentenced on Heroin Charges

James L. Santelle, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on June 3, 2014, Karen Ann Sanchez (age: 38) was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison by Chief United States District Judge William C. Griesbach. She had previously entered a guilty plea to a charge of using a communication facility (i.e., a telephone) to facilitate the distribution of heroin.

According to her plea agreement and other documents filed with the court, Sanchez worked in concert with eight other co-defendants to facilitate the movement and delivery of heroin to the Marinette, Wisconsin, and Menominee, Michigan areas from a primary supplier in Chicago.

The court noted the “devastating effect” that heroin use has had in the Marinette / Menominee region. The court described the coordinated actions of Sanchez and her co-defendants as essentially “a drug co-operative” designed not for the purpose of creating a profit, but to increase purchasing power and increase the frequency of coordinated “heroin runs” to Chicago.